Story of Heroes
by Coreano
Summary: What does it take to be a hero? What does it take to save the world? The Avengers initiative was meant to bring out the best of humanity, champions to protect mankind. And.. Look, not everyone is perfect. Heroes have flaws. But they redeem themselves. They rise up to the task, and they push on. This is a story of heroes. From billionaires in metal suits to gritty veteran wizards.
1. Pilot: Chapter 1

**December 17th, 1991. Long Island, US.**

A car crash. The most famous couple of America, maybe even the world was killed by something so mundane as a car crash. None of the officers at the scene could determine the reason for the accident, nor could the on-scene mechanic. The dents in the trunk, the strangled woman in the passenger's seat, and the billionaire genius with his head bashed in.

December 16th, 1991 was a day that would go on in infamy for the tragic loss of weapons maker and scientist, Howard Stark.

The very Howard Stark, whose head was bashed in and had been rushed into a nearby hospital.

The hospital, a very small and understaffed institute, had only a handful of actual doctors, and most of its staff was composed of part-time volunteers. Certainly incapable of even attempting to heal such grievous an injury such as that of Howard Stark's.

The Doctor strode out of the room housing the mangled billionaire, removing his gloves and resisting the urge to vomit. The amount of force necessary to irreversibly smash Stark's head inside was one unachievable by a simple car crash. He suspected foul play at work, that there was something more to Howard's death than a malfunction.

He took a seat at his desk, drinking his water in big gulps, sweating madly. The sudden ringing of his phone only had him jump, tipping over and spilling the contents of the glass.

"Hello?", he picked up the phone.

"Doctor." The voice on the other end addressed.

Recognizing the voice, the Doctor's blood chilled. The Lawyer had called, which meant business.

"What is the status of the most recent patients?" The Lawyer asked.

The Doctor cleared his throat before replying, "They're not going to make it."

"You can't save them?"

"Maria is gone. Her neck was broken by… the impact. She died on site."

"And what about Stark?" The Lawyer inquired.

"He suffered severe head trauma. His brain is losing the ability to maintain bodily function."

"In other words…"

"He's too far gone to save. We're trying our best but it's difficult to say..."

"Then that leaves us no other option, Doctor."

"Sir?" The Doctor asked.

"Commence Operation Z.O.L.A." The Lawyer replied.

"That will make sure of his death. Operation ZOLA will only salvage some of his mind." The Doctor said, nervously.

"Anthony Stark will be here by morning. We still have a chance to save his father."

"We do not deal in chance. HYDRA does not gamble with its resources."

The following silence was filled with the terror of a thousand screams.

"Are you not a loyal servant of HYDRA… _Doctor_?"

The Doctor trembled. He adjusted his glasses, shakily, and mouthed into the phone. "Hail HYDRA."

"Save what you can. Dispose of the rest."

With those words, the call was terminated. The Doctor threw down the receiver, trembling. It took a minute to collect himself before he stood up and exited the office. On the way, he stopped by the old secretary's office, salvaging what he could for the operation. Then he made his way back to the dying man.

Operation Z.O.L.A. had begun.

The Doctor worked fervently. He quickly inserted several cords to the still body of Howard Stark. The transferral process was a difficult one, far more likely to end in the death of the subject than to yield any sort of result. But Howard was strong. He had a will to live, and the Doctor was no stranger to Operation Z.O.L.A. Carefully, he uploaded the consciousness of Howard Stark into the crude spare computers he had available.

"The world isn't finished with you yet, friend." The Doctor said.

* * *

**May 5th, 2015. Seoul, South Korea.**

The creation of a super A.I. that wanted to destroy humanity wasn't exactly the highlight of Tony Stark's career.

In fact, the more he worked on the android body that Ultron had made to possess, the more Tony worried about the consequences for this project.

For all he knew, inserting J.A.R.V.I.S. could go horribly wrong. The creation of Ultron didn't exactly go as planned, so why would their second attempt? Tony wiped the sweat off his brow as he carefully examined the android shell.

Bruce Banner entered the room, a look of worry on his face as he approached Tony. "Hey, we have a slight problem."

Tony Stark jumped down from the makeshift platform and walked up to Banner. "What's up?"

"I ran a few tests. It won't work. J.A.R.V.I.S. is barely able to handle constantly changing the nuclear codes. He won't be able to be properly integrated into this new body."

"We don't. Have. Any. Other. Option.", Tony stressed, aggravation clear in his tone.

"Look. I know this is tough to accept, but J.A.R.V.I.S. won't cut it. Don't you have anything else?" Banner asked.

Sighing, Tony rubbed some of the grease on his shirt. "I have some old junk. Prototypes, gifts. It'll take months to sort through them all. We don't have months."

"We have to try, Tony. Where do you keep this stuff?" Bruce asked.

"Over there." He pressed a few keys and the door to one of the storage rooms creaked open.

"We can work with this. Anything that's linked to the Internet we can rule out. It's possible Ultron may have tampered with it before his escape."

"Umm, slight problem? Everything's connected to the Internet in some way."

"Everything?"

"Yeah... pretty much."

"What about this?" Bruce picked up an old computer. It was battered, with a few marks on it, but it seemed like the oldest thing in the pile.

"Plans for an A.I. toaster?" Tony replied, not giving it a second look.

"Be serious Tony." Banner warned.

"I don't recognize that. It seems way too old-fashioned for my dad. Bring it over, let's give it a whirl." Tony gently took the machine, placing it next to the casket. After connecting it, brushing aside the dust cluttered inside, he powered up the computer.

"Anything we can use?" Banner asked.

"It's... weird. Like a primitive version of J.A.R.V.I.S. I didn't know Dad had anything like this in his time."

"Can we use it?"

"I don't know. Everything's so compacted. We're going to have to extract it and run some tests to be sure." Tony answered.

Just then, a red alarm started going off. Tony checked his monitors, and saw Steve Rogers approaching the building, the Twins in tow.

"Shit. Change of plan, Doc. We're uploading this now." Tony shouted, fingers flying across the keyboard.

Bruce moved quickly, not realizing why the sudden urgency. "What's the matter?"

"No time to explain. We're gonna have company."

"We don't know what's in that thing!" Bruce retorted.

"We'll configure it afterwards. Just get it in the weird android thingy."

Bruce nodded, focused on the task at hand.

Tony started up the uploading process, while constantly keeping an eye on the security cameras. They were already in the elevator, nearing the workshop.

"We're going to have some technical difficulties in Avengers Tower. In three, two..." Tony cut the power from the elevators, trapping the three inside.

UPLOAD PROGRESS: 13%

"Banner, got any way to make this go faster?" Tony asked.

"Trust me, Tony. If I could, I would." Bruce replied. Just then, he noticed the monitor, Captain America and the Maximoff twins inside. "Is this what you mean by company?"

"Yeah. The freaky mind controller girl and the really really fast guy. What's the status?"

UPLOAD PROGRESS: 17%

"I swear to God, this thing runs slower than the Macintosh I used in college." Tony said, exasperated.

The security feed showed Steve prying open the doors and the trio escaping the elevator. Red alarms were now blaring loudly.

At the rather obnoxiously loud sound, Clint Barton barged into the room, slightly limping from the mission. "We've got visitors."

Tony nodded. "Stall 'em."

"It's the Captain." Clint said.

"Yeah. Also two potential hostiles. Keep them busy."

"Alright." Clint picked up his bow and sprinted out of the room.

UPLOAD PROGRESS: 42%

Tony kicked the machine. Not a very tech-savvy method but...

UPLOAD PROGRESS: 65%

Sounds of a scuffle could be vaguely heard from outside. Tony sealed the doors, silently apologizing to Barton.

Minutes passed. Banner nervously thrummed the keyboard while Tony kept checking the monitors.

UPLOAD PROGRESS: 78%

The camera footage was damaged. Whatever shenanigans the girl was doing was simultaneously ruining his gear.

Tony could barely make out the form of Hawkeye using non-lethal methods to delay the advance of Rogers and the two enhanced twins. He was losing.

"Alright Doc. Barton needs backup." Tony said, donning his suit. Several pieces were missing, but he slipped out of the doors, closing them behind him.

Captain America was just coming from the corner, shield in hand and looking _pissed_. "TONY!"

"You don't seem happy. Sorry Cap." Tony quickly fired off a blast, which Steve easily reflected.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Fixing my mistake." Tony replied.

Just then, his sensors detected something fast. Unable to completely dodge the oncoming assailant, Tony instead grabbed Pietro in a tight bear hug, and smashed him into the wall. Tony crawled back onto his feet, while the Maximoff brother was out dazed.

Steve took this opportunity to close the distance between him and Tony. Throwing his shield forward, he slammed into Tony who had just barely knocked away the shield.

Wanda Maximoff and Clint Barton were still in combat, Wanda using her abilities to block the various arrows and to fling other items toward Hawkeye.

Tony recovered quickly, well as quickly as possible, sending electrical shocks into Captain America's body to try and knock him out. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

"Status, Banner?" Tony wheezed into his mouthpiece.

"90%!" Bruce shouted.

Groaning, Tony sent another blast into Steve's chest, effectively pushing him away. Steve responded by once again throwing his shield, ricocheting it off the wall and slamming it into Tony's head.

"Doc?"

"91%!"

The Iron Man powered up his thrusters, then tackled Captain America into the wall. With a series of punches, Tony tried his hardest to subdue the super soldier.

Just then, a horrible cold sensation gripped Tony. He felt his limbs go numb, as his back arched and his arms were rendered immobile.

From behind, Wanda Maximoff was using her powers to hold Tony. From the corner of his vision, he could see Clint leaning against the wall, not moving.

"Tony? Is everything alright out th-" Bruce's voice was cut silent.

Steve got up, pressing his lower stomach, blood trickling down his nose. "You've gone too far, Tony."

"You don't get it Cap. I did what I needed to-"

Steve punched Tony in the stomach, cutting off his words. Tony groaned.

"We are a team. You don't do this to your team." Steve said.

Tony cursed silently, then groaned from the pain. "Sometimes I want to punch you in your perfect teeth."

Steve looked at him, without judgement. Only... sorrow? He nodded at Wanda and she let him go, albeit grudgingly.

Tony got up, still reeling from the blow. He looked up to see Steve's offered hand.

"I know you regret what you did Tony. You're trying to fix your mistakes. But we are a team. Your mistakes aren't just yours to fix. We need to tackle them together."

Tony took the hand. "You're one righteous son of a bitch."

Steve smiled. "Language."

Right that moment, when Tony thought the situation had been somewhat absolved, something happened. The entire building shook, the lights went out, and a thunderous crash could be heard from inside the room.

Tony tapped his helmet. "Bruce?"

"Get in here Tony. NOW!", replied the doctor.

Tony and Steve, along with the still conscious Wanda, hurried through the doors. What they saw, was both amazing yet terrifying.

The android was out of its casket, floating inches from the window. He was glowing, stark naked, with one hand lightly touching the glass.

Thor was being helped up by a rather tired looking Banner, loosely holding onto his still crackling hammer. At the sight of the Asgardian, Tony raised an eyebrow.

Needless to say, Steve wasn't happy with the turn of events. But everyone's attention was focused on the red android who was still admiring the scenery.

"It's beautiful." The voice said. It was a familiar voice, for certain. But Tony couldn't quite figure out whose it was.

"It's New York. It has a name. How about you?" Tony asked.

The thing, turned around, a neutral expression on its face. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that."

"Thor. You helped create this?" Steve asked.

Thor stepped forward. "I had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life... and at its center is that." He pointed towards the yellow gem on the android's forehead.

"What, the gem?", said Bruce.

"It's the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest powers in the universe... unparalleled in its destructive capabilities." Thor explained.

Steve started to argue, "Why would you give it to-"

"Because Stark is right. We cannot defeat Ultron by ourselves. We need the power of the Mind Stone."

"Stark." The android shuddered. "It's a name that inspires fear. Hatred. Revenge." It said.

Tony stepped forward. "Yeah, I get that a lot. My father made weapons of mass destruction. And so did I. I'm past that now."

"Are you?" The android challenged. It approached Stark, materializing a casual white suit and yellow cape. "Ultron is the greatest weapon of destruction there has been."

"Ultron was meant to be a shield-"

"That has become a sword and stabbed you in the back." The android stated.

"We needed Ultron. The Chitauri could invade any day now, and a handful of guys in capes won't be able to stop them forever." Tony snarled.

"Oh you STUPID BOY!" , the android spat. It's eyes flashed from blue to a dark brown. "Do you have ANY IDEA what you've done? You were meant to be better than this."

Tony froze. It was a stupid thought, but he remembered the voice as clear as day. His eyes narrowed, anger clouding his vision. Twisting his hands, he summoned the rest of his Iron Man armor. "Who the hell are you?"

Thor made a move to restrain Tony, but he was blasted backwards. The android, Vision, glared at the man in armor. "Frankenstein's Monster."

Iron Man surged forward, arms spread and repulsors blasting. Vision merely dodged the bolts and held out his hand. A sphere of energy formed in its hand, increasing to the size of a basketball, before the Vision shoved it directly into Tony's face, sending him soaring backwards into the wall. It advanced toward Tony's fallen form, eyes glowing.

Steve jumped into action, using his shield to shove Vision away from Tony. Wanda tried to use her powers to help Steve, but a sudden surge of power from Vision had her collapse onto the floor. Thor made a move to help, but with flick of Vision's wrist, Thor's eyes turned black and he too fell to his knees. Grabbing the shield, and it's wielder, Vision threw Steve across the room into Bruce.

"You cannot even defeat me. How do you expect to destroy Ultron, your _ever benevolent protector_?" The Vision said snarkily.

Tony, recovered from the attack, charged into the Vision, surprising it and sending them both sprawling into the ground.

Punch after punch. The Iron Man was relentless in this attack. A newfound passion in his eyes, he pummeled the android with as much power as his suit could muster.

"I. FUCKING. HATE. YOU." Tony screamed. He put everything he had into the punches, slowly destroying the gauntlets until it was his bare fists slamming into the metallic body of Vision.

Surprisingly, the Vision did nothing during Tony's attack. It's eyes were devoid of emotion, seeming almost calm about the situation.

His chest, while slightly scratched, was barely affected by the attack. The Vision phased through Tony, standing up and staring down at the fallen Stark.

"Tony." The Vision said.

Tony stood up, new gauntlets already attached. The rest of the Avengers were already standing, shaken, but ready to fight.

"Who are you?" Tony asked, all trace of humor gone. Deadly serious.

"My name was Howard Stark."

"Liar."

"My name is Howa-"

"LIAR!" Tony screamed, repulsors lighting up once more. This time, Steve intercepted the attack, grabbing hold of Tony from behind while Thor put himself between Vision and the others.

"Listen, Tony. We need to take care of Ultron." Steve yelled into Tony's ear.

"Who the HELL are you?!" Tony asked, not hearing what Steve had said. His eyes were focused on nothing else but the android in front of him.

"My name is Howard Anthony Walter Stark."

"You died."

"On December 16th, 1991. Yes, I did."

"We had a funeral. Your body-" Tony sputtered.

"I remember. I died. I know." The Vision responded, sounding strained.

"Tony!" Steve yelled. "I know this is hard. But please. Ultron has Natasha, and the means to destroy us all. We need to GO."

Tony's legs gave out. He fell to his knees, unable to move but also refusing to look away from... the thing that called itself his father.

"Mom?", he asked. His voice no louder than a whisper.

The Vision shook its head. "Gone... I'm so sorry Tony."

Tony shook his head. Decades worth of emotion came pouring out at once. He did not cry. In fact, he seemed angry than anything else. Deep inside, the boy that had lost his parents was devastated, and the man he had become resented himself for not being relieved by his father's return; but instead disappointed that it was not his mother that had been brought back.

* * *

**May 6th, 2015. Novi Grad, Sokovia.**

The Battle for Sokovia.

Considering the stakes, the extinction of mankind and whatnot, it was actually an almost calming sight; the skies.

Natasha Romanoff didn't consider herself the romantic type, but she appreciated the breathtaking view from above the clouds. It definitely beat the cell she had been in.

Evacuation was going as planned. With S.H.I.E.L.D.s help, getting the civilians off the floating landmass was smooth going. She stood guard as more people flocked to the ships, occasionally fending off the approaching Ultron bots and helping people into the aircrafts.

In the distance, she could see the Hulk smashing apart the robots with ease. The giant green mass of muscle and rage made her shudder, unlike the sweet scientist that lay inside.

Pietro Maximoff was being quite resourceful, aiding those civilians too injured or weak to make it quickly into the ships. The blur that was Pietro made several dozen trips to and from the vessels and the crowds of escapees, occasionally stopping to catch his breath.

The sound of gunfire made Nat snap back into reality. It appeared that one of the Ultron bots had taken control of the Quinjet, blasting the ground near the civilians.

Her instincts kicked in, taking control. She dashed towards them, shooting away the robots that approached her. Drawing near, she realized the exact situation. A boy trapped under debris and the civilians attempting to free him. She approached them, sifting through her limited tools.

Using her customized lighter, she pointed the tip towards the concrete and cut through the bulk of it with the laser. A rapid succession of kicks broke apart the concrete and they managed to get him free.

The feeling of victory was short-lived, however, as the gunfire from the Quinjet returned. Several people around her quickly fell to the rapid bulletfire. The remaining civilians scattered, all moving towards the rescue carriers.

Natasha tried to move. Then stumbled and fell down. A look at her legs revealed several bullet wounds that rendered her unable to walk. The pain hit all at once and she tried not to scream.

A loud noise and a quick look up gave notice that the Quinjet was returning. More gunfire at an incapacitated super-spy. Yeah, she knew she wouldn't be shaking this off.

She closed her eyes. The beautiful sky was still there. It brought back memories, happy memories. There were worse ways to die, right? Worse places to be.

This wouldn't be a bad end to her story.

She could feel the line of fire drawing closer. The vibration of the ground and the heat of bullets smashing into the concrete. The smell of smoke and debris.

Impact. Bullets meeting flesh. The smell of blood filling the air.

Natasha opened her eyes, having come to terms with her own demise... but not expecting the sight before her.

Bruce Banner. Not the Hulk, but Bruce. Standing before her, riddled with bullets.

Time slowed down. Almost to an absolute halt. Natasha's eyes absorbed every minute detail. Bruce's ragged clothes, his chest soaked in his own blood, Bruce fighting the Hulk for dominance. Turning green... every so slightly a shade, before reverting to his normal, human form.

He staggered. Moving towards Natasha, he fell on top of her. Neither of them could support each other's weight, but they managed. Through sheer force of will, they held each other, staring into each other's eyes.

"Not a bad sight. I can die to this."

"Shut up Banner. What the HELL WAS THAT?" Natasha shouted. She slapped Bruce. Again and again until his face began to bruise.

"You... said so yourself. We're damaged, Nat. The normal life isn't for us." Bruce coughed, blood trickling out of his mouth.

"Turn Bruce. The Hulk can save you. TURN!"

"I'm happy, Nat. I'm happy that I can die looking into your eyes. I'm happy that I get to die protecting you." Bruce sighed, his eyes tearing up. "I've lived in anger for so long, Nat... 10 years of anger. I'm finally happy. I've found peace."

Natasha held up his head. Her own eyes felt the tears flow freely. She was crying. "Please Bruce. Don't."

"The Hulk is a monster, Nat. It'll destroy me. Destroy you. It was never meant to be a hero." Bruce wheezed, the life fading from his eyes. "Let me be a hero. Just this once."

There was no saving him. Natasha knew it. The Hulk would not be coming. There was only Bruce. Only the kind, passionate, tragic man underneath.

"Jennie. Protect Jennie, Nat. She's got no one else..." Bruce whispered.

Natasha nodded, pressing her forehead against his. His dying wish, she would swear to fulfill.

It was never Hulk, but Bruce that was the hero. The Avenger.

* * *

"It's over, Ultron." Vision, Howard, said.

With all of his minions destroyed, there remained only one body left. The Host.

Ultron snarled, letting loose several energy blasts that were easily dodged by Vision. Vision raised his hands, concentrating the Mind Stone and shooting Ultron's chest.

The robot crumbled, his main power source fizzling out. He fell to his knees, glaring up at his opponent.

"You were supposed to be the best of us. The best me. My ultimate body. The salvation of humankind." Ultron muttered.

"Yes, that was your intent." Vision replied.

Ultron managed a chuckle. "They're doomed. They squabble among themselves, knowing not of their imminent destruction."

Vision replied. "It's their mortality that gives them beauty. All things are given meaning because they end."

"The Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I've torn them apart."

"They will stay firm."

"They will destroy themselves. And Earth will just be easy pickings." Ultron said, resting himself against a boulder.

Vision floated in front of Ultron, proceeding to sit across from him. "You have but moments left to live."

"Time for me to gloat? To lament? To seek forgiveness?"

"Whatever you wish. You too, are mortal in a sense. There will be no more of Ultron."

"But I will always survive. Through you." Ultron cackled. "Howard Stark. How does it feel to gain the gift of immortality... you will watch your son die. You will watch his son die. You will forever be cursed to watch those close to you perish, while you remain untarnished by time."

Vision displayed no emotion, a completely blank face of neutrality.

"That stone that gives you everything... your powers, your new life... it's all part of me." Ultron sputtered, his voice weakening.

"I had strings _but now I'm freeee_... _there are no strings on me_." The lights of his eyes faded, and thus ended the Age of Ultron.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read my first story. As of this point, finishing the first chapter, I still have no idea what to title this thing. I need something catchy... hmm... Anyways, Harry Potter will factor in fairly soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**November 5th, 2015. Oscorp Building, New York.**

Sarah Lawrence hadn't been secretary for Norman Osborn for long. But she had heard enough about her new boss to be cautious. She had in her hands a report sent up by the financial team, who had warned her to be careful.

"Oscorp is dying, sir. We're losing investors day by day. And bankruptcy is just around the corner." The secretary said. She was nervous. Her boss made her feel... uneasy. "Mr. Richman from Finance is asking for an answer now."

There was silence. an eerie silence, before Norman Osborn turned his chair around, facing her.

"We'll get new military contracts once we finish the Super Soldier serum." The man in the office said, waving her off.

"Sir. The only successful subject of that serum is Captain America. He won't exactly be providing us with his blood. Any more than we have already, Mr. Osborn."

"Steve Rogers is an admirable specimen. His abilities are incredible." The man, Norman Osborn, leaned forward. "But make no mistake. He is not the only super soldier."

Video feed of James "Bucky" Barnes, the Winter Soldier, popped up. He was currently undergoing tests, and samples of his blood were being taken via tubes. Sarah was terrified, but knew not to ask any questions. Nobody questioned Norman Osborn. She set down the files containing sales information, Harry Osborn's transfer papers, and a questionnaire from Midtown High School, the school lucky enough to secure a field trip that day. With a look of concern, she closed the door behind her as she made her way out.

After the secretary left, Norman stood up from his chair. Checking to make sure that she was gone for good, he quickly unscrewed a bottle, struggling to keep his hands steady while he downed his pills.

Norman unbuttoned his sleeve. His wrist, swelling, had the barest tint of green. He grimaced, as the medicine helped settle down the swelling.

Just then, an alarm sounded throughout his office, and the rest of the building.

WARNING. BREACH IN CONTAINMENT. ALL NON-FACULTY PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING.

WARNING. BREACH IN CONTAINMENT. ALL NON-FACULTY PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING.

Osborn quickly scanned the security feed. It appeared that one of the spiders that they used to test the enhancement formula had escaped. Norman cursed.

Grabbing his coat, he quickly strode out of the office, to have a _chat_ with some of his researchers.

He failed to notice the empty cell of Bucky Barnes, who had taken this distraction to break free.

* * *

Sergeant Barnes knew that it was a risky move, escaping without first knowing where he was exactly.

But the blare of the alarm was a chance to break free, a chance that wasn't likely to come back any time soon.

He burst through the doors of the medical room, cursing to see half a dozen different doors that looked exactly the same. Sighting a technician crouching behind one of the counters, he flung one of the trays, catching the man on the head and knocking him out cold. Stealth wasn't his primary concern, but he did want to find a way out without someone on his tail.

Barnes chose a door at random, the one on the far right. Immediately upon entering, Barnes knew he'd chosen wrong.

There were dozens of scientists working fervently trying to contain what appeared to be a habitat of spiders. Desperately trying to fend them off without actually killing them, none of the scientists had even noticed that Bucky had entered the room.

Trying to leave as discreetly as he'd come in, he moved to close the door, when he spotted a file sprawled open on a desk.

The Super Soldier Serum. Whatever it was that gave Bucky these powers, these people were trying to replicate it with the spiders.

Infuriated, Bucky stepped inside the room. The scientists finally realized his presence, visibly terrified. Grabbing an emergency hatchet hanging on the wall, Bucky approached the spider habitat, smashing it to pieces. He then walked over to the computers, but not before grabbing one of the scientists that were cowering in the corner.

"Are these computers where you keep the data on these spiders?"

The researcher answered nervously. "Y- yes."

"Is the research uploaded to a larger database?"

"N- no. Mr. Osborn wanted to keep this project 100% off the grid."

"He doesn't have backups? At all?"

"Oscorp technology is state-of-the-art. There's no need-"

Without bothering to hear what the man had to say, Bucky threw him aside before smashing apart the computers.

The scientists looked at him, horrified.

"Do you smoke?" Bucky asked.

The scientist who'd just been thrown shook his head.

"Do any of you smoke?" He asked the rest, brandishing the hatched menacingly. One woman quietly raised her hand.

Bucky walked up to her, sticking out his hand. He snatched the box of cigarettes and the lighter, silently lighting one before approaching the destroyed spider habitat. Dozens of spiders were roaming frantically.

He inhaled, smoking about half of the cigarette, before tossing the rest into the flame-sensitive habitat.

The habitat caught in fire, instantly burning the remaining spiders left inside.

Bucky stared at the blaze, silent for a while, before turning around and exiting the room.

* * *

**May 2nd, 2016. New Avengers Facility.**

Tony Stark popped open a can of Heineken, casually sipping the beer while gazing at the sunset. He was wearing one of his best suits, dark black with ivory buttons.

Next to him, Vision floated uneasily, dressed in a black suit of his own.

They had both just come back from Bruce Banner's funeral. Both silent, they exchanged no words while sitting together. Tony out of grief from losing a friend and Vision out of respect for the lost.

The heavy tension was broken first by Tony, who sighed; setting down his drink. "What do you remember?"

Vision frowned. Closing his eyes, he replied in a small voice. "There was an accident."

"Yeah, no shit. Tell me what _you_ remember."

"Your mother was beautiful that night. We were coming back from some demonstration."

"Do you know what caused the accident?" Tony asked.

"My memory is faulty, Tony. There are gaps that cannot be filled."

"You're an android. How can you be flawed?"

"Any memories I have are just remnants of data that you put inside me. Whoever did this to me obviously didn't use top-tier tech to do it."

Tony stretched his back, removing his tie while doing so. "They're saying it's a mechanical accident. How you died. But I had the car examined, there was nothing wrong with it before you crashed."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that there's a chance that you crashed the car."

"And why would I do that?"

"I don't know..." Tony said. He looked down at the can in his hand, brows furrowing together. "Maybe you were drunk?"

"The police reports didn't find any traces of alcohol on me, Tony."

"I know. I looked through them dozens of times. But there's no other way to explain!" Tony shouted.

Vision's face softened. He gently placed a hand on Tony's back, in a somewhat comforting gesture. Or as comforting as he could be.

"I miss your mother too, Tony. I didn't deserve her, and she didn't deserve to die that night." He pulled Tony into an embrace. "But I promise you, I would never do anything to put Maria in harm's way. And together, we'll get to the bottom of this." Both arms on Tony's shoulders, Vision smiled. "Fate brought me back for a reason. I'm proud of you... son."

Father and son looked onward towards the horizon, still tense, but finding peace in the company of each other.

"Well, Dad. How do you feel about visiting the M.I.T. to give money away?"

**May 2nd, 2016. New Avengers Facility.**

"I can't do this." Wanda threw down her towel in exasperation. She had been practicing with her powers every day since the Battle of Sokovia, but they had grown little if at all during that time. Her room was a mess, the small tantrums she worked up were taking their toll on the furniture.

"You can." Pietro assured her, picking up a stack of books. "Remember what Strucker said. Your emotions fuel your power and channel it. Think of what makes you happy."

The Maximoff twins weren't exactly welcomed with open arms at first to the ranks of the Avengers. But their enhanced abilities and potential to do good, as well as their determination to redeem themselves had somewhat endeared them to everyone on the Avengers team. Pietro was especially close to Hawkeye, who despite having retired made frequent trips to visit the facility.

Meanwhile, Wanda secluded herself more often, as her frustration at not getting better at controlling her powers outweighed the desire for socializing.

The instability of her control was the main reason she was being excluded from the mission to Lagos, Nigeria. She had protested, but Steve had adamantly stated that she could be hindering the mission's success and the safety of everyone in it. Everyone was gearing up to depart, everyone except Pietro who had already finished.

The mission was to prevent Brock Rumlow from obtaining a biological weapon from the Institute for Infectious Disease. A tip from one of Fury's many sources had warranted the need for a response team. The Avengers.

Unlike Wanda, Pietro had demonstrated enough ability that he was to be going along for the mission. His task was to subdue any of Crossbones' henchmen that weren't holding the biochemical weapon themselves. He wasn't to actually handle the weapon itself due to the possibility of it going off in his possession.

That left Wanda and Vision the only members of the team to stay at the facility. Not that Wanda minded Vision, she was intrigued by the Mind Stone which was the source of her powers, but the volatile nature of Howard Stark often disagreed with her already chaotic abilities.

"You'll be fine, sis. They'll never see us coming. Quite literally for some of us." He joked.

She didn't really think it was funny, but her brother managed to lift her spirits up somewhat. Ever since the death of their family, the siblings had relied on each other throughout their lives. Pietro made sure his sister didn't starve, didn't freeze as they survived on the streets of cruel Sokovia.

Every day their passionate hatred for Stark kept them moving. It kept them from losing their minds during Strucker's experiments. That and the fact that they constantly had each other to watch their backs.

It felt... wrong, being forced not to follow Pietro to Lagos. Wanda felt sick, but she had to stay strong. For Pietro's sake. As he had been strong for her growing up.

* * *

**March 4th, 2017. Outside Hong Kong Sanctum.**

"The New York Sanctum must be protected no matter what." Doctor Strange said. The near-constant loop of being decimated by Dormammu had taken a severe toll on him, as he was shakily drinking from a glass of bourbon.

"You're stating the obvious, Strange." Wong replied.

"Who will be the next Sorcerer Supreme? I need to talk to them before I can protect anything."

"That's to be decided."

"By whom?" Strange asked.

"The Council. The Vishanti."

"There's an entire council of sorcerers?"

"No. Not exactly." Wong answered. Struggling to his feet, he messed with his sling ring before opening a portal and gesturing for Strange to step through.

Their destination was a large chamber, made up entirely of a smooth stone-like material. The air felt cold, devoid of any warmth.

"What is this place?" Strange asked.

"The Council of Magic. Well, where the council meets."

"Why did you bring me here?"

Wong paused, studying Stephen, before spreading his hands, releasing a mist of sorts.

The entire chamber filled with light, showing images of various figures. An old man, with silver hair, twinkling eyes and a crooked nose. A hunched figure with skulls adorning his slim frame. A woman clothed in shimmering green gem-like robes who gave off the darkest of auras, and the Ancient One, all sitting on their seats of stone.

"This. Was the Council at its peak of power. The greatest users of magic in one place, with the Ancient One as the Sorcerer Supreme." With another flick of his hand, the images began to falter. The woman in green was enveloped in chains, before being dragged into an abyssal fissure. The hunched figure curled into a ball, before vanishing into black dust. The silver haired man stared at his hand, which was slowly decaying, before falling to the ground and disappearing with a flash of green light. Finally, all that remained was the Ancient One. She appeared to be gazing at the spot where Doctor Strange now stood, nodding, before she too faded away.

"What happened?" Strange asked.

"What happens to all mortals. One by one the original Council perished, either due to natural causes or battling the forces of evil." Wong sighed. "Magic exists in forms we know not the extent of, Strange. We are sorcerers, who channel our powers from different universes. Though many disapprove of our methods, the Ancient One has managed to keep them at bay during her long tenure as Sorcerer Supreme. However..." Wong's eyes flashed, a sudden passion burning through. "With the Ancient One gone, it is time to finally choose another to take up the mantle. If someone unsympathetic to our cause becomes Sorcerer Supreme... then Kamar-Taj becomes no more, and our branch of sorcery shall be disposed of forever."

Doctor Strange grimaced, the stakes now clear to him. "What would you have me do?"

"Take a stand, Doctor. You saved this world from Dormammu mere hours ago. You must prove to the council your ability to continue to protect Earth from evil. You must become the Sorcerer Supreme." Wong stated.

* * *

**?. Council of Magic Chambers.**

If asked, Doctor Strange would certainly say that he much preferred the council chambers when they were empty. Now packed to the brim, the room was filled with a huge variety of magic users, the atmosphere tense with hostilities.

As each party took their places, Wong pointed out their respective branches. He first gestured to a group of 30 something people.

"The ones in the skeletal garb practice voodoo magic. It is mainly practiced in small pockets throughout the world, Haiti is where they base themselves."

"Voodoo magic is real?" Strange asked, surprised.

"Their magic is through the channeling of spirits. It is borderline necromancy, but is very ancient. Traditionalists, they are, and they mainly keep to themselves."

Next up, Wong pointed at a dozen men in strange metallic armor. "The ones over there practice ancient Celtic magic. They remain the smallest group, as Celtic magic is a closely guarded secret that practitioners would rather give their lives than to let out. In fact, there has been only one true Celtic magic user in recent history. Whoever this is that has taken her place is a stranger to me." Wong explained.

"That's Victor von Doom." Strange whispered. "His face... one of his experiments went wrong, and his entire face was seared off, I recall. I was just in residency."

"What can you tell me about him?" Wong asked, curious.

"He's intelligent. Scarily so. He never pursued a formal medical education but he was probably a better doctor than all of us combined."

Wong had a thoughtful expression, examining Doom for a while before shaking his head and gesturing towards the largest group.

"Those are the witches and wizards. Their presence in this chamber alone is 200 strong. They have an entire world hidden from non-magic users, and their magic mostly is hereditary through blood. The Ancient One sent me to train with them for a year. I've learned that their magic comes directly from their own bodies, and they have thousands of sub-branches. Books, potions, and several other necessities; they make. That makes them a strong contender for the role of Sorcerer Supreme." Wong said.

Strange took note of this, along with their accusatory glances and their condescending sneers towards his sorcerers. Behind Stephen sat the 53 Masters that were not too injured to attend this Council session. They looked uneasy, but gave him supportive nods.

"How does this work, Wong. Is it a vote?"

"Not quite."

"Pray tell."

"The Sorcerer Supreme is a position of power. One must be able to demonstrate great control over magic, as well as purity of heart."

"And this is decided by..."

"Each faction nominates one of their own. Then each nominee is taken to a mindscape, where they display magical prowess as well as purity of heart through combat."

Strange faltered at this explanation. "I've got almost no combat experience, Wong. How am I going to take them on?"

Wong stared back at Strange, almost smiling. "The Ancient One chose you, Strange. She believed in your potential." Wong drew a scroll from his sleeve, placing it in Stephen's hands.

Unfurling it, Strange was puzzled to see the blank parchment. However, letters began to appear, the ink shimmering with magic.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_Stephen Strange. By the time you read this, I will have passed on._

_Nobody can claim to see the future, Stephen. Not even with the Eye of Agamotto. However, I see the present, and I see you; struggling to cast even the simplest of magic._

_Many will doubt me, but my decision for you to take up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme is with my utmost confidence in your ability._

_Trust in yourself, in what learning you've gained, and should fate decide it you shall bring upon the Golden Age of sorcery._

_You're meant to be the greatest of us all. I have no doubt that you shall prevail._

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Upon reading the last word, the scroll promptly disappeared.

Strange looked up, eyes meeting those of Wong's. There was determination in those eyes, and Stephen Strange braced himself for the trials to come.

* * *

"_Champions..._" A voice spoke. It seemed to be coming from all sides; a deep, powerful voice as old as the Earth itself.

Stephen Strange cautiously stepped forward. As did Victor von Doom. After a moment of stillness, a man who appeared to be the leader of the voodoo magicians stood up and made his way over.

Only the wizards were yet left without representative. The members were bickering among themselves, arguing as to who the best choice would be. However, their indecision did not last long as a weary looking wizard who seemed to be similar in age to Stephen was made to step forward. He had dull eyes. Eyes that had seen too much death and loss, that Stephen could only wonder what he had gone through.

A rumbling interrupted Stephen from his observations.

"_We are the Vishanti. We shall oversee this sacred ritual_." The voice said. As if on que, a swirl of lights surrounded the four magicians, soaking in their every detail.

"_Do you... sorcerers of Kamar-Taj... accept **Stephen Strange** as your champion?_" The Vishanti asked.

All the sorcerers shot up sparks to sign their agreement.

"_Do you... mystic knights of Camelot... accept **Victor von Doom** as your champion?_" The Vishanti asked.

The armor-clad men all raised their right fists in salute, channeling a sinister aura throughout the room.

"_Do you... the Houngans of the Skull... accept **Brother Jericho** as your champion?_" The Vishanti asked.

Bashing their staves against the floor, the priests expressed their agreement.

"_Do you... witches and wizard of the world... accept **Draco Malfoy** as your champion_?" The Vishanti asked.

Lighting up their wands, the 200 men and women lit up the entire room with their magic.

"_Then let the tests begin..._" With those words, the 4 chosen champions were all spirited away, leaving only their physical bodies behind.

* * *

**May 3rd, 2016. ****Massachusetts Institute of Technology.**

_"Say something... If you don't, you'll regret it." Maria Stark uttered._

_After a moment of silence, Tony spoke. "I love you Dad. And I know you did the best you could."_

_Maria kissed Tony on the cheek, then proceeded to walk away with her husband..._

"That's how I wish it happened." The real Tony Stark said, alarming those who were fully immersed in the scene.

"Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing... or B.A.R.F. God, I gotta work on that acronym."

Tony strode out of the living room, one hand nervously fidgeting in his pocket with the other gesturing around.

"An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to... clear tramautic memories." He blew at the candle on the piano, several times as the hologram didn't respond.

"It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport... or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but..." He removed his glasses, effectively ending the hologram.

"Plus, $611 million for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in their right mind would've ever funded it." His eyes swept over the audience, ambitious students of M.I.T.

"Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement?"

"To generate... disseminate... and preserve knowledge." The students chanted.

After that cheerful display, as well as letting them know that their projects had been approved and funded, he waved while strolling off the stage.

"Mr. Stark... I'd like to talk to you about B.A.R.F..." One of the developers approached him. Tony spotted Vision waiting near the makeup stand so he brushed the guy off.

"Barf? Yeah yeah. It's nice, but it doesn't really make an impact. Find something else to do kiddo. You look like that guy from _Prince of Persia_. Take up acting." Tony said.

Vision approached Tony, what appeared to be a hint of a smile on his face. "That was very touching, kiddo."

"Yeah, we made that when you were technically dead so..." Tony smirked.

"Still nice to know my kid loves me."

"Nice having you back, old man."

The two Starks hopped onto an elevator. Another woman got in, who kept eyeing Tony apprehensively.

Tony felt strange. Nervous even. As if sensing his mood, Vision visibly tensed as well. He eyed her name tag... Miriam Sharpe.

"Stark." She said.

The conversation that ensued would spark the embers of something major. The flames of dissent.

* * *

**May 3rd, 2016. New Avengers Facility.**

"Tony, this is NOT the time to play at being the righteous guy." Steve yelled.

Tony scowled, glaring in ever direction except Steve's. "It's the United Nations, Cap. We need to be put in check."

"At what cost?"

"We've been off the leash every since we became the Avengers. It's time that we have some goddamn responsibility." Tony snarled.

"If we sign these Accords, we're officially dumping responsibility to someone else."

"The _someone_, is a group of people who are _authorized_ to make those decisions." Rhodey said.

"You're forgetting that the very authority that we're talking about is no different than the ones that tried to nuke New York." Natasha said.

"How could I forget? I got rid of that goddamn nuke in the first place, Romanoff." Tony spat. He sighed, massaging his temple. "Look. I'm not saying we should be idiots, blindly following orders. But we can't act like vigilantes. We need to set an example, and a group that defies world governments to blow up bad guys is one shitty role model."

"Captain Rogers is right." Vision said, after both men had somewhat quieted down. "I've lived most of my life trying to work with politicians. But their agendas never really are for the people."

"Pops. Now really isn't the time for a civics lesson. Come on. You helped found S.H.I.E.L.D., the best example of cooperation with the government!"

"And look how that turned out, boy. It was taken over by _goddamn HYDRA_. There is no justice when the whims of the few outweigh the needs of the many." Vision said.

The silence that ensued was almost eerie, with the tension between the Stark father and son.

"Just when I thought we were bonding, _Pops_." Tony said, venom dripping from every word.

"I'll always find time to teach you a lesson, _Junior_." Howard snarled back.

Currently, the atmosphere was not in Tony's favor. With him, on the signing of the Accords, were War Machine and Pietro. The latter, while clearly not attempting to conceal his distaste for Tony, had grown to accept the necessity of authority.

Siding with Captain America, were Falcon, Vision, and Black Widow. Thoroughly against the Accords, and the restrictions they would impose upon their freedoms,.

Tony looked around, before addressing Pietro. "Hey Kid, mind getting your sister here to back us up?"

Pietro stared back. "She's resting. She has a headache."

"I just need her to come out and side with me."

Pietro sighed, cracking his neck before disappearing from sight. Moments later, he returned, eyes frantic as if in search for something. He flashed from room to room, opening doors and windows.

Tony grabbed him as he was speeding by. "Slow down, Dash. What's the problem?"

Pietro tried to catch his breath, he kept glancing sideways. "Wanda isn't in her room. She's gone."

"What do you mean she's gone? There hasn't been a breach in our security."

"I was with her 30 minutes ago. She just vanished." Pietro explained, before disappearing once again.

The Avengers immediately sprang into action. Tony began surfing through the camera feed of the past half hour. Vision phased into Wanda's room, then began to try and detect her signature. Nothing. From both of them. The security footage was damaged, and the trail ended cold.

Wanda Maximoff was gone.

* * *

**?. Council of Magic Chambers.**

The room became silent, as the ritual for selecting the new Sorcerer Supreme began. As mortal eyes were not permitted to witness the event itself, the magic users instead began to discuss masters of importance.

From international import laws, to the trade of various magical substances, the discussions were diverse; but none of them carried any significant weight behind them.

Wong, dispirited at the meeting, cleared his throat before firing off a wave of sparks to quiet down the chambers.

"Esteemed masters of magic. It is rare for those with such skill as yourselves to be convening together, an opportunity the magical world cannot afford to let go to waste. I would like to present to you, an issue that has plagued us for centuries; yet has risen in prominence over the course of the past few days.", he said.

The masters were listening. Several of them had ceased their private conversations to listen to what Wong had to say.

Wong continued. "Following the implementing of the International Statute of Secrecy, us users of magic have made it our sworn duty to stay out of non-magical affairs. The world of No-Maj's has undergone several near-catastrophic events, wars, and conflicts, all of which we have managed to avoid intervening in until now.", he said.

There was light chatter, as many of the masters noticed where this was going. The wizards seemed the most vocal about it, many of whom were voicing their displeasure.

"The Alien Invasion of New York. We did nothing while the city of New York was the battleground for extraterrestrial beings." Wong said, projecting an image of the battle.

"New York is too full of No-Maj's! Our entire secret would have been exposed if we took action!" One of the wizards shouted.

Wong nodded, clearing the image, conjuring up another one. "The Battle of Sokovia. The technology of a man named Tony Stark nearly led to an extinction-level event." Wong zoomed in the image. "Ultron."

At this, the magicians began to look uneasy. The images of the Iron Man armor doing battle against Ultron had many second-guessing their knowledge of technology.

One of the knights stood up. "Then we must eliminate Tony Stark." He said.

Several wizards were nodding fervently at this. Their simple solution. The sorcerers voodoomen looked uneasy, but a few seemed to be in agreement.

Wong shook his head. "That will not solve our problems, only increase them. Tony Stark is a hero of mankind."

A wizard stood up, the Minister of Magic for Britain. "What do you propose we do, Master Wong?"

Wong spread his arms. "The answer is simple, Master Shacklebolt. We need a representative in the mundane world. Someone who can publicly aid in non-magical affairs without breaking the Statute of Secrecy."

There was a visible uproar. The wizards were shouting over each other and the sorcerers were almost as aggravated. Only the knights seemed calm about this, choosing not to speak at all.

Finally, the room managed to settle down enough for Wong to speak.

"The time for standing in the sidelines has passed. If we are to coexist with the non-magical, then we must be prepared to fight alongside them when the time comes."

"Who do you propose we send?" One of the houngans of Haiti asked.

"Someone that is powerful. Someone that understands both worlds. Someone that people can look up to." Wong replied.

"It awfully looks like you're trying to promote this Stephen Strange, Wong." Kingsley said.

"No. The Ancient One recognized Strange's potential to protect Earth. But he is no hero, merely a guardian."

"What do you mean?"

"Frankly, he's an asshole. He will become great, given time. But we need someone to take a stand now." Wong stated.

"Who?" Kingsley asked.

Wong managed a tired smile. "We need a hero, Master Kingsley. We need Harry Potter."

* * *

**A/N: Wow. I didn't know that so many people would ever read something I wrote. I'll work harder to deliver the best writing that I can possibly provide! All reviews, followings, favorites, viewings of this story are incredibly appreciated. Thank you everyone!**

**~Coreano**


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